Investment funds · M&A · Strategic acquirers
Technical
Due Diligence
A proven methodology built by CTOs who've been in the trenches, so you can validate your investments with confidence.
They trusted us
What sets us apart
Why choose CO-CTO for your due diligence?
What we assess
All-in-one
Tech · Org · Product · AI · Security
For complex deals that need a full 360° view.
Every engagement is scoped to your needs: targeted or full coverage.
Our process
Proven across dozens of M&A deals and funding rounds
Scoping the deal
- —Discussion with the fund or acquirer to understand what's at stake
- —Defining the scope (tech, org, product, AI, security)
- —Building the CTO team based on the target's profile
- —Setting the timeline around the deal's constraints
Immersion in the target
- —Access to source code, infrastructure, technical documentation
- —One-on-one interviews with the tech team and CTO
- —Analysis of architecture, technical choices, and technical debt
- —Assessment of the organization and engineering practices
Risk analysis & scoring
- —Qualifying and prioritizing identified risks
- —Assessing the ability to scale post-acquisition
- —Benchmarking against industry standards
- —Identifying critical dependencies and blind spots
Debrief & decision support
- —Structured report: executive summary + detail by scope
- —Presentation to the fund, board, or M&A team
- —Input for warranty clauses or price negotiation
- —Available after the report for any follow-up questions
Real engagements, measurable results
They trusted us
Business software (WMS)
12 people · €3.5M revenue
WMS & the shift to SaaS
De-risking the acquisition of a legacy on-premise software vendor moving to SaaS.
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Fintech / Responsible finance
35-40 people · tech team of 6
Impact fintech & Series A
In-depth technical audit and CTO coaching to prepare for a Series A raise and investor due diligence.
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Fintech / Banking AI
~15 people · tech team of 11
Banking AI: go or no-go?
Technical assessment of an AI-powered document analysis tool for bank loans, ahead of an investment decision.
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know
What is technical due diligence?+
Technical due diligence is an in-depth review of a target company's information system, software architecture, technical debt, and tech organization. It's carried out ahead of an investment operation (fundraising, LBO, acquisition) to identify risks, value the technology assets, and inform the investment decision.
When should you launch a technical due diligence?+
Ideally during the LOI (Letter of Intent) phase or during the exclusivity period, before the SPA is signed. The earlier it starts, the more it can shape the reps and warranties clauses and the sale price. For a fundraise, it usually happens after the term sheet.
What's the difference between a technical audit and technical due diligence?+
A technical audit is generally for the company itself, to improve its own practices. Technical due diligence is carried out on behalf of a third-party investor or acquirer: the lens is financial risk, valuation, and the ability to scale. The deliverables, tone, and evaluation criteria are all different.
How long does technical due diligence take?+
It depends on the target's size and the scope: anywhere from 5 to 10 business days for a targeted engagement (tech only), up to 3-4 weeks for an all-in-one due diligence covering tech, organization, product, AI, and security. CO-CTO adapts the timeline to the constraints of the M&A deal.
What are the deliverables of a CO-CTO technical due diligence?+
Every engagement produces a structured report that includes: an executive summary (red flags and strengths), an assessment of the architecture and technical debt, an analysis of the organization and engineering practices, risk scoring, prioritized recommendations and, if needed, input for negotiating clauses or price.
Can you assess companies using AI or specific tech stacks?+
Yes. CO-CTO builds each team to fit the deal. For a target using machine learning, LLMs, or complex cloud infrastructure, we bring in CTOs with hands-on experience of those stacks. AI due diligence is a dedicated offer that assesses data governance, model reliability, and algorithmic debt.
How does CO-CTO ensure the objectivity of its assessments?+
Our CTOs are independent of both the target and the fund commissioning the work. They've all been on both sides: audited as startup CTOs, and now as auditors themselves. That dual perspective keeps assessments rigorous but unbiased. CO-CTO doesn't provide services to the companies it audits.
Do you work with venture capital and private equity funds?+
Yes. Our clients include VC funds (from seed to Series B/C), private equity funds, family offices, and strategic acquirers. The level of detail and evaluation criteria adapt to the target's maturity and what's at stake in the deal.
Let's talk about your deal
Need to secure an investment?
Tell us about the deal. We'll get back to you within 24 hours with the right team for the job.